LET'S HAVE MORE APPRECIATION AND ACCEPTANCE

Saturday, 12 January 2019

IT'S TIME FOR MORE APPRECIATION AND ACCEPTANCE

In choosing my Word of the Year MORE, I mentioned a list of the A to Z of things I'd like to develop more of in my life throughout the year. I'm not planning on participating in the AtoZ Challenge this year, so instead I thought I'd work my way through my "List of More" by choosing a letter every second Saturday to write about (interspersed with my Saturday Snippets - because they're fun to do too).

LET'S START WITH MORE APPRECIATION

The first letter in the "List of More" is A for Appreciation. It's so easy to walk through life taking things for granted. This year I want to pause more often and take stock of all the blessings that come my way. My end of month coffee catch-up posts are a great way to do this - it's always lovely to look back at the nice things that have happened and to note them down.I'm also repeating my Gratitude Jar this year. Last year I noted a few things I was grateful for each week and put them in my jar to read and remember. It was really good for me to write a few positives down each week and focus on the good stuff that has happened. It's so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and to let those moments pass by - it does us good to pause and make a conscious note of the kindnesses, the unexpected snippets of joy, and the moments of sunshine that come our way.

AND WE'LL FOLLOW IT UP WITH MORE ACCEPTANCE

Acceptance is the flipside of Expectations. The more we learn to accept what we have and to enjoy and appreciate it, the less we get caught up in the trap of unfulfilled expectations. I've always been susceptible to being disappointed when my perfectionist expectations aren't met. I've been learning (after many reminders from my husband) that it's better to accept what I have and to be happy with that, rather than having my hopes dashed because I set my mark too high.This year I'll be aiming for a more realistic benchmark, I'll be grateful for all the times I see my family (and not keep wishing for more), I'll be satisfied with the good days at work (and ride out the craziness when it strikes), I'll remember that Facebook is the highlight reel for my friends (and not their normal day to day life), and I'll aim for contentment in my own daily life. We have so much, and life is pretty darn sweet, so acceptance of the slightly less sugary bits shouldn't be too difficult to achieve.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are you remembering to be grateful and lowering your expectations? Maybe 2019 could be your year for appreciating your blessings and accepting how good your life is overall. When you stop and think about it, Midlife has so much to offer if we choose to enjoy what we've been given.

54 comments

Hi, Leanne - I had a double-take when I opened this post. At first, I thought I might have slept through most of January, February and March -- or that the A - Z folks were encouraging bloggers to offer sneak previews! :) Now that I get it, I like your plan to use every second Saturday to work through your 'Lists of More.' Appreciation and Acceptance are so essential -- they make a terrific start. I find that I am better with appreciation than acceptance -- but I'm working on it! I look forward to following this series.

Hi Donna - you made me smile with your moment of panic - I've decided that I can't cope with a fourth AtoZ in one month - (unless something major changes my mind!) so this seemed like a great way to write about things that I want to achieve without having to cram it all into 30 days :)

Fabulous and inspiring Leanne, you're so good at clarifying your thoughts and sharing your wisdom with us. I always set my expectations too high and end up being disappointed so I am going to try to be more realistic and enjoy what I have instead. Great start to your new series :)

I'm a shocker for expectations Deb - and it's something I've been pulling myself up on a lot in recent years. I'm learning that "it is what it is" often sums things up well and reminds me to stop wishing for unrealistic things (most of the time!)

Really like this! Have realized more lately that appreciation and acceptance go hand in hand. I so appreciate my friends and their presence in my life Sometimes acceptance of their differences has given me the gift of knowing them well.

You're so right about accepting people and their differences - I find it works in the family too - we might all have the same basic values, but how we express them can be completely different. Accepting that and loving the person regardless, goes a long way to maintaining happy relationships!

I think writing stuff down is a great way of focusing our attention on all the little things that would slide by otherwise Deb. Just noting small blessings makes us see all the little positives in our life - which must lead to a happier mindset.

Hi Leanne! What a clever way to work your "word" in on a regular basis AND to remember some really important elements. Appreciation and Acceptance are two awesome qualities. Thanks for the reminder! ~Kathy

Hi Kathy - lovely to see you stopping by and back from your Asian adventures. I thought it would be good to set myself the challenge of actually doing something to meet my "More" aspirations this year and the AtoZ is a fun way to do it.

Hi Leanne, I'm going to love your MORE posts and a great idea is working AtoZ. I actually wasn't expecting a post so was surprised when it hit my Inbox. Appreciation and Acceptance are two positive words that we can and should include in our everyday life. Looking forward to MORE and of course your visit where we can chat much MORE! lol:)

We'll be talking each other's ears off Sue - hopefully we'll have some voice left for the Wednesday lunch chat-fest too! And yes, this is my alternative to the April AtoZ Challenge - much easier on my stress levels and a fun way to keep my blog tootling along in 2019.

You're absolutely right. We could all do with appreciating everyone and everything around us more and what better time to start than at the beginning of a new year? Acceptance is a bit of a tougher one for me and that's something I need to work on x #AnythingGoes

Hi Leanne, my biggest expectation that is usually on what I expect from people. I'm improving. After reading your post and the comments it would seem most of us struggle with expectations. It's wonderful that we can still learn and grow at our tender age 😊

Expectations have been a killer for me Suzanne - I didn't even realize I was doing it for many, many years - now I see it and try to nip it in the bud before disappointment takes it's toll - lower the expectations and lower the let down!

Hi Leanne to my mind, appreciation and Avceptance are so important to living a peaceful and happy life. This is a great post to kick off your A-Z. Looking forward to following along #MLSTL Shared on SM

I love both your words Leanne, particularly appreciation. I like to thank the universe every night before I go to sleep. I try to express my gratitude for 5 things. Sometimes I fall asleep before I get to 5, but that's OK too. Thanks for the linkup. Pinning this x

We could all use more appreciation and acceptance, Leanne. Thank you for the important reminder. These two things pretty much sum up my focus for the last several months--and for the months to come. #MLSTL

Leanne, I'm pretty good with appreciation as I regularly practice writing gratitudes. Acceptance, however, is definitely something I could do MORE of this year! Especially self acceptance. But I also like your interpretation of acceptance of what is. Yes, I often have too high expectations! I've got a good role model - Hubby is good with "it is what it is" statements. Looking forward to the whole alphabet!

My husband's good at reminding me when I'm running on expectations and the risk of them being dashed Pat (lucky we have these men in our lives isn't it?) I'm becoming a real counter of my blessings too these days - we're so fortunate and it's good to remind ourselves of it regularly - gratitude journalling is a great way to do it.

Leanne, you have the best ideas. I love the gratitude jar idea and I love your word for 2019. and what a great idea to take each letter of the alphabet and write a "more" post. I'm still sorting out my word for 2019. I'm down to either stretch or create or appreciate.

I had a pile of words this year too Leah - yet I had trouble coming up with even one for 2018! I love all three of yours - and will be interested to see what you whittle them down to - I hope there's a blog post on it when you decide.

Oh Boy Leanne! Am I ever getting practice in appreciation and acceptance. Now in my 70s I'm finding I'm appreciating those who step up and offer help when some health issues arise. It's not easy for me to be dependent on others. And acceptance for me is peaceful. It's a joy to be still here and enjoying this wonderful life so acceptance of inevitable health issues is a trade-off. Thanks for posting this and I'll be following. Sharing on FB and Twitter for #MLSTL

Hi Mary Lou - don't you hate it when our bodies aren't as resilient as they used to be? I'm so glad you have people in your life who you can turn to when you need that extra little bit of help. I feel so sorry for those who don't have any loved ones nearby (and sincerely hope I'm not one of them in the years to come!)

I love this, Leanne!I love that your word of the year is "more" (brilliant!)I love that you are doing the A-Z challenge over the course of the year instead of a single month (I might copy this example...)And I love the "A" words you chose to highlight... especially Acceptance.In this day and age of intolerance, I want to extend acceptance (and unconditional love) to others as well as myself.Happy New Year, online friend! I look forward to reading the rest of the alphabet throughout 2019 :)

I think the more time we spend on social media, the harder it is to accept our average life! But as you say, we are only seeing the best foot put forward! Thanks for sharing with us at The Blogger's Pit Stop!

Hello - I'm Leanne

There’s so much more to Midlife than having a crisis, or being in menopause, or crying over an empty nest. It’s time to focus on freedom, re-discovery, and becoming the best version of ourselves. So, join me in a journey where we replace Midlife crisis with Midlife connection and contentment.

Cresting The Hill visitors

AWARDED

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Leanne Le Cras and crestingthehill.com.au with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
If a photo or video is your material and you do not wish it be on this site, please email me and I will remove it immediately.